*Cover Reveal* Lasting Fate by Charisse Spiers

"Lasting Fate" by: Charisse Spiers Cover Reveal

Lasting Fate Excerpt:

Preston I pull into the drive and the garage is open. I've told Kinzleigh to keep it shut. It's a nice area, but that doesn't mean we don't get strays from time to time looking for easy access to steal. Kinzleigh's mom should be here soon to help her with the baby for a few days. Maybe she's already here. I could use her help so I can get some work done. I'm swamped with projects and a new baby is more work than I thought. I try to give Kinzleigh a break when I get home. 

Pulling under my garage door, I park and kill the engine. I grab my satchel that I take back and forth from the office and step out of my beamer. It's been a long day. I grab the knot of my tie and pull, loosening it. When I get to the door my heart drops to my stomach. It's cracked. My first thought is that someone has broken in. I push it open and walk inside. I drop my bag at the door and pick up pace when I hear Bryce screaming at the top of his lungs. A fear I've never known races through my body. What if she's hurt? "Kinzleigh," I call out throughout the house. I get no response. When I make it to the living room Bryce is lying in his bassinet screaming and Kinzleigh is lying on the couch staring off into space like a zombie, ignoring him. His face is blood red like he's been crying for a while. I reach over and pick him up, pulling him to my chest. "Hey, buddy. Shh, shh, shh. It's okay," I say as I rock him. It's not helping. He's obviously hungry or wet. Hell, I don't know. I've never had a baby before and I'm a guy. I would get cranky if I was hungry. Kinzleigh is breast-feeding, so I don't know what I'm supposed to do. 

"Kinzleigh, when is the last time you fed him?" I look over at her, still attempting to calm him down. My ears are stinging from his constant crying. I can't think. She has not even acknowledged I'm in the room. "Kinzleigh, what the fuck?" The only type of response I get from her are tears that fall from the corners of her eyes and they trickle down her nose before dropping onto the leather of the sofa. "I can't," is all she says and goes back to staring off into space. What the hell does that even mean, she can't? 

"You can't or you won't? What happened to you? Are you sick?" He is still screaming, so I reach in the bassinet and get his pacifier, hoping it calms him a little until I can figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now. "I can't," she says again. She's not even looking at him. I begin walking towards her in an attempt to see what's wrong and get her to feed him. She closes her eyes before I get there. "Please don't. I can't hold him. Please, take him somewhere else. Please..." I don't understand. She was fine when I left for work. I try to give him his pacifier. We don't have any formula, because she wanted to feed him naturally. How does everything change so drastically in twelve hours? 

He takes it for a second before he figures out nothing is coming out of it and spits it back out, now mad as hell. I can't deal with this shit right now. I'm worried about her, because she's not acting right, but I have to get him calmed down first. Pulling out my phone from the pocket of my slacks, I hit one of the contacts in my immediate access list. It rings for a minute before the line picks up. "Preston? It's seven thirty and the sitter just left. Do I need to call her back? Is that Bryce? Is he okay?" Her voice is drowned out by his crying. I walk out of the room with the phone up to my ear. "Hey, Macie. I need your help. It's an emergency. It's about Kinzleigh. You can bring Talon." "Anything, Preston. Is she okay?" 

I peek my head back in the door. She's still lying on the couch in the exact same position she was when I left. She is still staring at the wall blankly, no emotion registering on her face. "I don't think so. I came home and Bryce was screaming in his bassinet. She's just lying on the couch in a vegetative state. She won't hold him. I have no idea when she's fed him last. Can you bring some formula?" "I think I know what's wrong with her. I'll be right there. Give me fifteen minutes." She doesn't wait for an answer before disconnecting the call. I slide the phone back in my pocket and begin bouncing him slightly while I pat his back. His tiny head is resting against my cheek. 

"It's okay, buddy. We'll get your mama fixed, okay? Don't worry. She must have a reason for letting you cry, she has to. You'll love her. She's kind of hard not to love." His cry is dying down, from the exhaustion I'm sure, but not stopping completely. I stand in the doorway watching her. I've never in my entire life seen her like this, not even when her grandmother died. It's like her soul has been sucked from her body, leaving nothing but a hollow woman lying in this big house. I'm scared to know what that means. I need to talk to Macie. I have a strange feeling I'm losing her. I've never been in love with a girl like I'm in love with Kinzleigh, and I never will be again, but I can't stand seeing her like this. If this is going to be the girl she becomes, then I'll have to make another choice, one that is going to forever destroy me for a woman. I won't trap her. We were happy before he came back. I won't watch her disintegrate and become lifeless to preserve my own happiness. 

The realization occurs that if she doesn't get better I may have to let her go. Watching her lay as if she is alive, but dead, is killing me inside. I've never been an emotional guy until I went back to Mississippi that night and saw her the way I did. Something changed in me that night. From that point forward it wasn't about me, but her. I learned that when you love someone, you do what's best for them, even if it isn't what's best for you. I want to walk over to her right now, but I have to take care of Bryce first. I made a promise to love and take care of both of them. I'm going to keep that promise for as long as I can. Right now I'm scared and I don't know how long I'm going to get to hold onto what has become my family. Just because this child doesn't share my blood, he still shares a piece of my heart. I kiss the top of his head. He finally cried himself to sleep, but he won't be asleep long. Macie should be here soon. I can tell his diaper needs to be changed anyway. 

I stare at the girl that captured my heart from the time I was just a teenager. I've really grown into a man from then to now. I rub my thumb back and forth on Bryce's head, above his ear. "I need to leave you for a minute, but I promise I'll come take care of you," I whisper into the air in her direction. "I love you, Kinzleigh." My eyes fill to the brim with tears, but I close my lids before they have the chance to fall. She doesn't have room in her life for someone that can't contain his emotions. I kiss the top of his head; his baby smell fills my nostrils. "I love you also, buddy." I hold him close to me and begin walking in the direction of the stairs and towards his room. I'm going to savor every moment with the two of them. My brain wants me to believe that I still have them forever, but my heart is preparing me for the worst. 

After changing his diaper, I sit in the rocker and start to rock him. Macie walks in with a bottle in hand. She takes one look at me and gets a saddened look in her eyes, more like a look of pity. "You've gotten attached to him, haven't you?" "Yeah." I am not one of those guys that talk about the emotions fighting against each other deep inside. I prefer to keep to myself. Revealing parts of yourself to others sets you up for gossip and judgment. Coming from a family in the media that was something you didn't do. Kinzleigh is the only person I've ever let in. 

"I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries, because I really like you as a boss and a person, but you know there is only way to fix her, right?" I continue rocking back and forth, staring at the wall before me. I want to know, but at the same time I don't. I'm not sure I want to know the answer, because I think I already do. "What's that?" 

"Preston, you can't fight soul mates. I know you love her, and I really believe she loves you in return, but she's meant for him. His return has changed the rules of the game. Her soul is fighting her, mourning for its other half. A doctor is going to tell you it's postpartum depression, but we both know what's really wrong with her." I'm getting mad. Things were going great before he came back. I'm not going to be an asshole and say I wish he would've died, because I don't, but she's the only girl I've ever wanted. That should count for something. "So, you think I should just hand her over to him? What kind of a man hands over the only thing he wants in life. I've only ever loved her..." 

"I'm saying you should set her free. She made you a promise, and I don't think she's going to break it. Her soul is turning against her, rebelling until she gives it what it wants. As silly as it sounds, I really believe someone can die of a broken heart. Would you rather keep her alive and well or allow her to suffer slowly? If you really love her, prove it, and set her free her from the ropes that bind her. Selflessness, that's the ultimate sacrifice in love." I look down at the bundle in my arms. I can't let them go yet. I need a little more time. She could still get better. She has to get better. I'm trying to convince myself, but it's not working. Bryce wakes up crying. "Here, give him to me. Talon is watching television in the spare room downstairs. Go tend to her. She needs someone. She looks horrible." 

I stand and hand him to her. I watch her sit in the chair, but I can't quit looking at him. "Preston..." I glance up at her. "We'll be fine. I've raised one baby. Go on." I nod and follow instructions, leaving the room. When I get to where Kinzleigh is, she looks worse than she did before. It feels like someone has a hold on my heart and squeezing as hard as they can until it pops. I get to her and squat down so that I'm at her level. "Kinzleigh," I whisper. Her eyes are void of all life and emotion. She doesn't look at me. It's as if she can't even hear me. Fuck it. I can't take this anymore. 

I slide my arms underneath her and lift her, pulling her against my chest. "I'll do whatever I have to do to fix you, Kinz. I promise." I walk her upstairs and into our bathroom, sitting her on the toilet. She slumps slightly, but holds herself up. "Lift your arms," I state. She does as I say. I remove her shirt and she lowers them back down. I unclasp her bra and remove that too. She is now sitting in just her underwear. I unbutton my shirt and let it fall to the floor. Grabbing the collar of my undershirt, I pull it over my head and toss it down on the other one, forming a pile. I work quickly to unfasten my belt and pants, letting them drop to the floor as well. Stepping out of my shoes and pants in unison, I kick them to the side. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pick her up and she wraps her legs around me, and then lays her head against my chest. I walk over to the large round tub and step in. Reaching forward and down, I turn the nozzle and adjust the settings until the water is warm. 

I sit down as the bathtub fills with water. My eyes fill with moisture again, but this time I let them fall. My heart is breaking, shattering is a more appropriate word. The only things at the forefront of my mind are the things Macie said. I hold her wrapped in my arms and silently cry. My heart is trying to convince my mind that it's wrong, duking it out on what's best for her. I don't want to let her go. I want to love her each and every day for the rest of my life. I want to give her the world, and be her world, but after seeing how she reacted to him at the hotel that day and seeing her when she told him goodbye, and looking at her now, my mind is overpowering my heart. It's clear that what I want and what she wants are two different things. 

I could hold onto her if I wanted, but my love for her guilt’s me, and won't let me do this to her. I feel like I'm being gutted at the realization of what I have to do. I'll never be the same after this. I'll never give my heart to another woman. When I do this I'm defying everything I was taught by giving in. I'm sacrificing my happiness for hers. When her and Bryce go, my heart goes with them. After holding her in the bathtub and trying to convince myself to go back on my decision, I bathed her and gave her some sleeping medicine from the cabinet. I lay her in the bed and pull the covers over her. It doesn't take her long before her eyes begin to roll in the back of her head and her lids close. 

Her cell phone on the nightstand starts to ring. I notice it's an unsaved number. Trying not to wake her, I answer the call. "Hello." The line is silent. "Can I talk to Kinzleigh?" I look down at her. She is sleeping and looks peaceful for the first time since I got home from work. I'm not waking her. Besides, I'm about to give her over to the bastard anyway; he can let me have a few more hours. 

"Now's not a good time," I say. "Are we really going to play it this way?" He breathes and I walk out of the room, quietly shutting the door. I move far enough away she can't hear me if she wakes. 

I need him to stop calling, because what I have to do has to be done in person and I don't need him to worry Kinzleigh until this is done. "She doesn't want to see you, Breyson. Please stop calling." I disconnect the call and throw the phone at the wall, leaving a crack and a now shattered phone. I run my hands through my hair and rest against the wall, sliding down until I'm sitting on the floor. Leaning my head back I close my eyes.

Meet Charisse Spiers

I developed a passion for reading I never knew I had in November of 2012 when I decided to give eBooks a try. Since then I can't go a day without some form of a book or character running wild through my mind. For almost a year I constantly had a book pulled up on my Kindle app for my iPad. The beauty of self publishing is that you can interact with the authors, which is how I started writing. I never knew I had the creativity to write a novel until I began conversing with another Indie author. If you ever think that Indie authors don't like getting feedback from readers, you are very wrong. I began editing for a fellow author and because she took a leap of faith in me and told me to give writing a shot, I am now an Indie author myself. I cannot tell you how amazing this journey has been. It is hard putting yourself out there for the public eye with all of the reviews that come through, but it's also amazing. I have met some of the most genuine people and people I would consider friends even though I've never met them face to face. I have now published the first two books in the Fate series, Accepted Fate and Twisting Fate and I am starting book three Lasting Fate to be released November 2, 2014. I cannot wait to see where this journey takes me and feel free to interact with me here or on social media. I will respond. :)

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*Book Blitz* Bound by Love by Stephie Walls

 

 When young college student and working phenom, Annie Teasman, shows up again at the distribution center to pitch a consulting proposal to management in hopes of sealing the deal, she never suspects when their eyes lock that the gorgeous, blue-eyed, ripped Gray Dearsley will change her life forever. Will the bright, funny, and unassuming coed from an upper class background be able to bind her heart to that of the cocky, carefree Southern playboy? As she tries to manage an impossible school load while working full-time, will her drug use jeopardize their relationship? While Gray wrestles with his desire to lead a carefree and uncommitted lifestyle, Annie must grow up as she struggles to meet her goals and decide for herself what she needs from a relationship to be happy. Will she choose a relationship where she is bound by passionate love, or will she choose the gentle love and security of a man whose background more closely matches her own? Set in a Southern town where the cultural divide is wide and the generation gap is even more pronounced, the book is contemporary in its approach to the issue of drugs at colleges where the demands on time for success-oriented students frequently surpass their physical capabilities. Passionate, sensual, and erotic, Bound by Love explores some of life’s most difficult questions about love & happiness. This is not a fairytale romance; it’s the story of two people desperate to love each other through drugs, infidelity, and painful truths. Not all love is guaranteed a happy ending.

 

   

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 I'm a thirty-six year old wife to my sweet husband Jason, and mother of one to the most adorable seven-year-old girl to ever walk, Maggie. I live with my little family on the outskirts of Greenville, South Carolina where we house two cats (Star Anise aka Annie and Asparagus aka Gus) and a dog, Jack. (the largest Yorkie ever!). I have a serious addiction to anything Coach and would live on Starbucks if I could get away with it. I'm slightly enamored with Charlie Hunnam and Sons of Anarchy and am a self-proclaimed foodie. I'm an avid reader averaging around 300 novels a year and wish I had time to read more. I currently work full-time in the Greenville area and fill my "extra" time (haha) with reading anything I can get my hands on and writing contemporary romance novels with a hint of erotica. This has been a dream of mine for years and I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband and BFF Tracy who both pushed me to keep going when I didn't have the confidence or the patience.

 

*Blog Tour* Without Hesitation by C.J. Azevedo

 

 

At eleven years old, Macie James was certain she saw her prince standing in her kitchen with his rosy cheeks and cute smile. She was going to marry that boy, she had no doubt about it. As she became a teenager, it was that boy who taught her how to become a confident and sure woman. As the years went by and they grew up, he taught her how to love and to be loved.

Greyden Michaels was surprised when he fell for his best friend’s little sister. He wasn’t opposed to it and, even more surprising, neither was his best friend. When he was in college and her just in high school, he realized they were too young to be committed, he opted for friendship with her and together they decided their love was for the future.

When you hesitate, life happens. When life happens, your plans change. Macie wanted her fairy tale and Greyden was prepared to give it to her when unfortunate events changed his whole life, including his future with the UFC and, most devastatingly, with her. Macie made the decision to live her life, to move on without Greyden, especially once she met the man who wanted to marry her and give her the life he couldn’t.

The problem with that was that Greyden had always seen her as his. Could he give her up completely for her supposed happiness or could he somehow manage to get his life in order to try and win her back, heart and soul?

 

“I can’t make you mine right now, Macie.” He sounded dejected.

“I know,” she whispered across his lips, this time pressing her mouth against his.

“I don’t trust anybody else with you,” he said as she deepened the kiss a little more, but he wasn’t letting her fully in.

She licked his top lip and a small groan came out against his wishes. “I know, Sugar Plum.” She kissed just his bottom lip; being the only participant in the kiss was becoming challenging.

Greyden laughed. “Noooo.” He gripped her face, stopping her ministrations. She scrunched up her nose at him. “Macie, remember our plans?”

She nodded. How could she forget? They had a future together, just not a present.

He tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I promise to keep my mouth shut if you want to date, if you promise to date guys your own age and to be smart.”

Macie’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. That’s not where she was hoping he was going to go with that. “Grey, I don’t—”

“Butterfly,” he slides a finger to her lips effectively shushing her, “I wish I could be that guy for you right now, but I can’t. I know that others can’t either, but apparently you’re going to have to figure that one out on your own. That’s why I ask that you wait ‘til you’re eighteen for the major stuff. Because, Butterfly…God. Macie James, you’re not the girl guys screw around with. You’re the girl guys marry. You’re the girl I’m going to marry.”

Macie gasped in complete shock at his words. Stunned speechless. What does one say to that anyway?

Thankfully, she didn’t have to think too long. Greyden slid off the truck, coming in close contact along her body, not letting her back up. He leaned down, his lips hovering over hers momentarily, just barely brushing them before pressing the sweetest kiss to her hyper aware lips. His lips were soft and warm and Macie wanted to pull him even closer than he already was and open up to him, but that’s not the kind of kiss he was giving her. No, he was giving her a kiss of a promise, a promise of a future, of a friendship and of a love that will only bloom with time, that’s what this kiss was. It was kind of heartbreaking on her end. It may be what he wanted and needed right now, but he just told her he was going to marry her, yet she couldn’t really kiss him, or have him.




Review of Witout Hesitation by Kristi Droney and Kim Howlett

4 Stars

   Without Hesitation (the Without series Book 3)

CJ Azevedo (Author)

Without Hesitation is the third book in the “Without Series.” If you have read Without Boundaries and Without Doubt then you will know what C.J Azevedo's writing style is like and that you will be getting a good read.

At age 11, Macie James meets the boy who she thinks will be her future in every sense of the word, Greyden Michaels. Greyden is her brother’s best friend and happen to be a bit a older then her. Throughout her life Greyden is always there is some way or another. He's her friend, brother, support person and person she can cry on. Greyden has always known his future lies with Macie, but because if their age gap he's not took things further with her. Over time life happens and dreams that you once thought were a sure thing are not what they once appeared. Life events happen and dreams change. Do you continue to love someone who seems to have other priorities? Do you move on and live your life and find a new and safe dream? This book told a story of love over several years. You watch Macie and Greyden grow and fall in love with each other. You see dreams they once had change over time due to life events. The one constant for both of them was each other. Even when trying to move on they always found their way back to each other through friendship. I found the love and friendship Macie and Greyden shared to be heartfelt and true. However, people will only wait so long in life to have the dream they always desired. At some point you must try and move on and make new dreams. Or should you?

Greyden was a very likeable character. He is hot, athletic and annoyingly sweet. Reading about him made me wish that there was more people in the world like him. Macie was very likeable too. She is beautiful, focussed, funny, smart and driven. I love that she has known most her life what she wants and that she isn't afraid to go after it. The connection between the two of them was incredible and believable. As the story was told over a period if time, you were able to really connect with both characters and get a better understanding of them and their lives. This is a heartfelt story that takes you on a journey. The story made me smile, laugh and swoon a little. I found the love and friendship Macie and Greyden shared to be heartfelt and true. I liked that the characters from the past 2 books made little appearances throughout. My only complaint about the book was the jumping around in time. At times I found it a little confusing and felt like it took away from the story at points. Overall the story was enjoyable and kept my interest.

 

Bailey Hayes has a past that is currently affecting her present. Ten years ago she made a decision that suited her at the time. Now because of that decision she finds herself extremely successful in her chosen career but extremely unhappy in a relationship she thought was her forever.

Bailey met, fell in love with and moved in with Hollister Harrison six short months after meeting him. Hollister's true colors shine through epically when he no longer has his personal space to contain them.

Talon McAllister loves his family, his family's marketing firm that he runs along side his sister and the game of hockey. He plays hard and works even harder but leaves no room for any one woman exclusively. That is until he meets the lovely and ultimately sexy Bailey.

Can Talon convince Bailey that her twisted sense of loyalty and commitment to her boyfriend is absolutely unnecessary and dangerous?

Will Bailey miss out on the greatest love she will ever know due to fear of repeating her past of quick decision making?Or will Talon show Bailey that she can live and love without boundaries?

               

 

Ava Sterling is tough and the most straight laced girl you will ever meet. Her family and her past have managed to alter her future permanently and she has no desire to allow anyone else into her life or her heart for fear of rejection or further altering. Ava is alone in the world with the exception of the grandest responsibility she did not create on her own but on her own she will carry for the rest of her life.

Declan James is a MMA fighter, party all night kind of guy. Responsibility is nowhere to be found in his life or so he allows everyone around him to believe. Coming from wealth and a carefree lifestyle, Declan gets what he wants, always. And what he wants is Ava. In his pursuit of getting what he wants, Ava in his bed, his plan changes quickly without his consent. Against his plans of being the next hot bachelor to cross the tabloids as he makes his way to being the Ultimate Light Heavyweight Champion, Declan falls in love. He falls in love without hesitation and without doubt.

Neither Declan nor Ava are aware that fate has inconveniently intertwined their lives forever. Will they be able to survive the aftermath of the truth?

               

Being a dreamer her whole life, CJ had big plans as a child to move to New York and live the city life. She wanted to escape the small country town she grew up in and be an independent woman. The dreaming never stopped, changed a little but never stopped. Instead she married a boy from that small country town and decided to somewhat travel together. One day, living in Northern California they decided to pack up and move to Texas, just because. That’s where she resides today doing what she loves the most… mothering her children, loving her Husband and living vicariously through all of the stories she gets to create and write up daily.